Garruk's Horde MTG Card


Sustained card advantage through top-library play increases creature card accessibility and strategic depth. Resource acceleration from top-library plays aids in mana preservation and broadens strategic options. Though not an instant-speed ability, the flexibility it offers during your turn resembles instant-like adaptability.
Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Beast
Abilities Trample
Power 7
Toughness 7

Text of card

Trample Play with the top card of your library revealed. You may cast creature spells from the top of your library. (Do this only any time you could cast that creature spell. You still pay the spell's costs.)


Cards like Garruk's Horde

Garruk’s Horde stands tall in the Magic: The Gathering arena as a card that brings formidable creature presence and an intriguing top-of-library mechanic. It bears resemblance to the likes of Vizier of the Menagerie, which similarly grants the ability to play creature spells from the top of your library. While Vizier allows you to look at the top card anytime, Garruk’s Horde’s strength mushrooms in its sheer size and trample ability, giving it a clear advantage in creature combat.

Another related card, Oracle of Mul Daya, also flirts with library manipulation by allowing you to play an additional land from the top of your deck. The Oracle, however, doesn’t pack the same punch in combat scenarios as the Horde. Then there’s the Courser of Kruphix, which offers a peek at the top card of your library and a chance to play lands, all wrapped in a defensively stout enchantment creature package. Even so, its lack of aggressive capabilities puts Garruk’s Horde ahead for those seeking to beef up their battlefield presence.

Comparing these alternatives highlights Garruk’s Horde as an excellent choice for decks capitalizing on creature power and library synergies, consolidating its position as a staple for green mana strategies in Magic: The Gathering.

Vizier of the Menagerie - MTG Card versions
Oracle of Mul Daya - MTG Card versions
Courser of Kruphix - MTG Card versions
Vizier of the Menagerie - MTG Card versions
Oracle of Mul Daya - MTG Card versions
Courser of Kruphix - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Garruk's Horde by color, type and mana cost

Thorn Elemental - MTG Card versions
Penumbra Wurm - MTG Card versions
Stone-Tongue Basilisk - MTG Card versions
Thriss, Nantuko Primus - MTG Card versions
Beanstalk Giant // Fertile Footsteps - MTG Card versions
Somberwald Beastmaster - MTG Card versions
Cultivator Colossus - MTG Card versions
Krosan Tusker - MTG Card versions
Hundroog - MTG Card versions
Enormous Baloth - MTG Card versions
Ancient Ooze - MTG Card versions
Cytospawn Shambler - MTG Card versions
Panglacial Wurm - MTG Card versions
Molimo, Maro-Sorcerer - MTG Card versions
Duskdale Wurm - MTG Card versions
Avenger of Zendikar - MTG Card versions
Pelakka Wurm - MTG Card versions
Engulfing Slagwurm - MTG Card versions
Kalonian Behemoth - MTG Card versions
Maul Splicer - MTG Card versions
Thorn Elemental - MTG Card versions
Penumbra Wurm - MTG Card versions
Stone-Tongue Basilisk - MTG Card versions
Thriss, Nantuko Primus - MTG Card versions
Beanstalk Giant // Fertile Footsteps - MTG Card versions
Somberwald Beastmaster - MTG Card versions
Cultivator Colossus - MTG Card versions
Krosan Tusker - MTG Card versions
Hundroog - MTG Card versions
Enormous Baloth - MTG Card versions
Ancient Ooze - MTG Card versions
Cytospawn Shambler - MTG Card versions
Panglacial Wurm - MTG Card versions
Molimo, Maro-Sorcerer - MTG Card versions
Duskdale Wurm - MTG Card versions
Avenger of Zendikar - MTG Card versions
Pelakka Wurm - MTG Card versions
Engulfing Slagwurm - MTG Card versions
Kalonian Behemoth - MTG Card versions
Maul Splicer - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Garruk’s Horde in play, the ability to look at the top card of your library at any time and cast it if it’s a creature card means you effectively have an additional card available to you from your library without drawing it. This ongoing potential to place creatures directly onto the battlefield can be a decisive advantage, keeping your hand full of other strategic resources.

Resource Acceleration: Although Garruk’s Horde itself doesn’t directly produce mana or tokens, its ability to play creature cards from the top of your library can save the mana usually spent on drawing and playing creatures from your hand. This effectively accelerates your resource deployment by allowing you to use mana that would have been spent on drawing those creature cards for other purposes instead.

Instant Speed: While the ability of Garruk’s Horde isn’t at instant speed, it offers a strategic benefit similar to instants. Since you can see the top card of your library and play it if it’s a creature, you get the flexibility to adapt during your turn before the combat phase, much like having an instant that allows you to react swiftly to the evolving game state.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Garruk’s Horde does not have a direct discard requirement; however, its high casting cost may force players to discard other cards in order to survive until they have enough mana to play it.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires a significant amount of green mana, demanding no less than three green symbols in its cost, which could restrict deck-building options and make it challenging to cast in a multicolored deck.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of seven mana, Garruk’s Horde can be considered a late-game play. There are creatures with lower mana costs that can be equally impactful sooner in the game, thus potentially providing a faster advantage.


Reasons to Include Garruk’s Horde in Your Collection

Versatility: Garruk’s Horde stands as a formidable creature, apt for various green-based decks. Its ability to play the top card of your library if it’s a creature offers a consistent stream of threats against your opponent, creating a resilience against hand disruption.

Combo Potential: With the power to cast creature spells from the top of your library, this card synergizes well with library manipulation and deck stacking strategies, setting up powerful creature combos without depleting your hand.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creatures reign supreme, Garruk’s Horde can become an indispensable tool for keeping up the pressure. Its innate trample ensures that even if blocked, it can still punch through defenses, keeping the path to victory open.


How to beat

The presence of Garruk’s Horde on the battlefield can be daunting for MTG players. This formidable beast not only includes the ability to play the top card of your library if it’s a creature card but also comes with trample to overpower blockers. To successfully navigate against this card, consider using removal spells such as Path to Exile or Murderous Rider that can swiftly dispatch the creature from the game. Additionally, counterspells, especially those that can handle large creatures like Dissipate or Essence Scatter, could prevent Garruk’s Horde from ever hitting the board.

Ensnaring your opponent’s strategy with board wipes like Wrath of God or Damnation also levels the playing field, leaving the Horde and any accompanying creatures as relics of the past. If the Horde does make its appearance, you may opt for strategies that outpace the potential creature advantage it offers. Using cards that restrict your opponent’s ability to cast spells from the top of their library, such as Pithing Needle or Sorcerous Spyglass, can nullify Garruk’s Horde unique ability. Winning against Garruk’s Horde involves effective threat assessment and timely removal, tipping the scales in your favor during the match.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive into the world of MTG and unlock the full potential of Garruk’s Horde in your collection. With its capability to consistently supply creatures to the battlefield and maintain pressure on your opponents, this card is a powerhouse in green-centric decks. Leverage your deck-building skills to synergize Garruk’s Horde with top-deck manipulation for dominant plays. Master the tempo of your matches, ensuring you have the mana available to capitalize on its benefits from early to late game. Enhance your green deck and take your MTG prowess to new heights—venture further with us and discover strategies that leverage the raw power of Garruk’s Horde.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Garruk's Horde MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Magic 2012 Promos, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Garruk's Horde and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Garruk's Horde Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2011-07-14 and 2017-04-15. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 416362003NormalBlackKev Walker
22011-07-14Magic 2012 PromosPM12 176★2003NormalBlackKev Walker
32011-07-15Magic 2012M12 1762003NormalBlackSteve Prescott
42013-07-19Magic 2014M14 1732003NormalBlackSteve Prescott
52017-04-15Welcome Deck 2017W17 242015NormalBlackSteve Prescott

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Garruk's Horde has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Garruk's Horde card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2011-09-22 If the top card of your library is Dryad Arbor (the only card that’s both a creature and a land), you can’t play it this way. Dryad Arbor can’t be cast as a spell.
2011-09-22 Normally, Garruk’s Horde allows you to cast the top card of your library if it’s a creature card, it’s your main phase, and the stack is empty. If that creature card has flash, you’ll be able to cast it at the time you could cast an instant, even on an opponent’s turn.
2011-09-22 You’ll still pay all costs for that spell, including additional costs. You may also pay alternative costs.
2013-04-15 If the top card of your library changes while you’re casting a spell, playing a land, or activating an ability, the new top card won’t be revealed until you finish doing so.
2013-04-15 The top card of your library isn’t in your hand, so you can’t suspend it, cycle it, discard it, or activate any of its activated abilities.
2013-04-15 When playing with the top card of your library revealed, if an effect tells you to draw several cards, reveal each one before you draw it.